ABC News suspended “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks, a day after she came under fire for falsely stating that the Holocaust “isn’t about race”.
“Effective immediately, I will suspend Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her inaccurate and hurtful comments,” ABC News president Kim Godwin said in a statement.
“While Whoopi has apologized, I asked her to take some time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments,” Godwin added. “The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.”
On Monday night, Goldberg apologized in a note posted on Twitter. And on Tuesday, Goldberg opened “The View” offering another apology.
But her comments upset ABC News staff. While some accepted her apology, others believed the disciplinary action was warranted, according to conversations with employees.
Goldberg is no stranger to controversy, having made a number of comments throughout her nearly 15 years on the show that have drawn backlash.
In 2009 she commented that Roman Polanski was not guilty of “rape-rape”, a comment she later clarified. Goldberg also initially defended Bill Cosby when he was facing sexual assault allegations, a position she eventually reversed.